What’s The Perfect Dog Poop?
Happy Monday everyone! Are we taking about dog poop today? Yes, we are! I know it’s not the most attractive topic but it is something that we all should be aware of. What’s the perfect dog poop? Do you look at your dog’s fecal matter or has it never been something you thought about? I have always looked and do almost every day! Animals can’t tell you if anything is wrong. You have to really know your pet and stay up on any sign they might not be feeling well. Their poop can tell you many things.
When we brought Jake and Maggie home, we didn’t realize they were sick until I took them outside for a potty break. I have never seen anything like it and could not put a name as to what I was seeing. I took pictures, called the vet, and drove them both over to be examined. Our vet looked at me and said…”I have no idea what that is”. He had never seen anything like it. They were 8 weeks old, now living in a new home, and on new food so we assumed it was just that. We were told to watch them and to bring them back if they did not change. Fortunately, over the next few days, their poop started to look normal but what a scare we had!
Just a normal Saturday morning for Jake laying on the bed relaxing!
What you should know:
Color – dog poop should be chocolate brown. If your pup is eating food with added colors or has not digested it fully, you will see the color change.
Shape – dog poop should be in the shape of logs. If his droppings are round, this might be a sign of dehydration.
Consistency – dog poop should be compact, moist, and easy to pick up. It should feel like play-doh when squished.
Size – the volume of dog poop should be proportionate to the amount of food the dog is eating. The size also increases with the increase of fiber your dog is eating.
Content – If your dog has mucus in his stool, this might be a sign of gastrointestinal upset. Small white bits could mean he has worms. If your dog is licking a lot and losing hair, you will see hair is his stool. If his poop is hard and dry, this might be a sign he is constipated. Your pup is showing signs of constipation and dehydration if they have extremely dry, pebble like, and hard to pass stool.
Stages of Diarrhea:
- Soggy, leaves residue, and loses form when picked up
- Soggy pile rather than log shaped
- Piles or spots, has texture when picked up
- Puddled
Causes of dog constipation:
- Too much or too little dietary fibre
- Not enough exercise
- Blocked or infected anal glands
- Excessive self-grooming (if there is dog hair in the stools)
- Not enough grooming (if there is matted hair around your dog’s back end)
- Objects like gravel, bones, plants or plastic caught in the intestinal tract
- A side effect of medication
- Dehydration (a possible symptom of more serious diseases)
Causes of dog diarrhea:
- A stressful event like adopting a new dog, the arrival of a new family member, moving home etc
- Quickly switching to a new dog food
- Eating food designed for humans
- New medication
- Drinking water from a puddle or stagnant pond
- It could also be an indicator of another disease or infection
- Eaton spoiled food
- Allergies
- Parasites
- Poisonous substance such as plants
- Swallowing a foreign substance
- Bacterial Infection
- Antibiotics
The color of your dog’s poop and what it means:
- Chocolate Brown – normal
- Green – excessive grass consumption or gall bladder issue
- Orange/Yellow – biliary or liver issue
- Red streaks – blood in the stool, check for tears around the anus
- Black and Tarry – may mean bleeding in the upper GI tract
- Grey and Greasyt – may be a pancreas or biliary issue
- White spots – may be a sign of tape worms
What is stress diarrhea?
- Adoption
- Boarding
- Separation from you
- Changes in your household or their environment
- The introduction of a new pet or family member, even if they are destined to become best friends!
How to reduce your dog’s risk of stress diarrhea:
- If you know your dog might be experiencing a stressful change or situation, like being boarded while you go on vacation, call your vet and ask for a pro-biotic supplement. A probiotic adds beneficial bacteria to your dog’s intestine to restore balance.
- Gradually ease your pet into a new situation rather than making the change all of a sudden.
- Make sure you keep them on dog food only and do not feed them people food like pork or anything greasy.
Natural remedies to help with diarrhea:
- Rice water: Boil high-quality rice in a lot of water, remove the grains, and offer the dog the creamy white soup that’s left. A splash of broth or a bit baby food will make it more palatable.
- White rice
- Canned pumpkin (plain, not prepared pie filling) has the odd distinction of being effective for diarrhea and constipation.
- Yogurt, which has beneficial bacteria, can help in dogs who can tolerate milk and milk products.
- Boiled potatoes, without skin
- Cottage cheese
- Plain protein sources such as egg (prepared with no butter or oil) or chicken (without skin)
- Herbs, such as fennel, have gut-soothing properties
- Specially-formulated dog foods: Some manufacturers offer foods that can sooth stomach problems. You may need to obtain these from your vet.
- Over-the-counter medications for humans may also be effective for doggie diarrhea, but should be given with caution and you should talk to your vet before using them.
As always, if your dog has prolonged diarrhea, get him to the vet immediately. This is a sign that something is wrong.
Interested in reading more on dog health, check out my previous posts:
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